Menu

With our small non-profit operation here in Nepal, every step is a juggle .

In
Kathmandu, you can't take out a large loan unless you own property,
land or come from a wealthy family with political ties. For this reason,
the rich get richer and poor stay the same. We as the underprivileged
carry all the restrictions and fair little chance to move forward.

As
I play the balancing act of managing the store, paying the builders,
and working towards our LWH home, I am staying a float but progress is
very slow.

As I finally receive and deposit a long awaited cheque
from a large order payment, I am reminded of the challenges we face in
Nepal. Though the two Nepali banks involved in this transfer are on the
same street, the deposit has now taken 4 business days. For the average
person, this is no big deal. But for us at LWH, every rupee counts. If
the banks only knew how much we needed this money and how sensitive the
time as for us. The women need their salaries, as today was the first of
the business calendar. They too are just squeezing by with their
payments. But every month is a struggle. I can't bear to delay payment
for my women as they work so hard and deserve it. They should not suffer
as we seek to grow our project, no matter how important our new LWH
building is for our future. I will happily go without , as I am used to
only buying a few small groceries a day with whatever I can spare. Every
rupee always seems to be tied up. But I cannot bear to let the women
suffer too.

I am facing the reality that I may have to take on
another micro loan. While this seems in some ways that I am failing, I
have to remember that for most small businesses or property owners in
the world seeking to develop and build on their land, it is relatively
easy to get a loan. We are the underprivileged class of the
underprivileged sex. The struggle is hard but I have to accept that I
must ask for help.